Is this really OP's biggest concern in life???

I don't see OP's problem. When you're actually in a country which uses metric, and all the mileage estimates are given in metric -- it does make sense to start thinking that way.

You idiot, Americans on vacation in a country that uses the metric system will talk about distances there in metric because that's what all the signage uses.

Anonymous wrote:Everything in engineering and any type of job that deals with measurements uses the metric system. You know why? Bc it makes sense. It's time the US changes.

This. And as an engineer it's so so frustrating to have to code things so that users can input stuff in the English system, then convert to metric to do the calculations since formulas and constants are all based on metric units and then convert back to English for outputs and plots. Argh.

I've lived here 20 year and I still don't know about the measurements and distances. I almost figures out a mile since I drive a lot. But how does feet become yard and then mile. Totally different words. And I'm 5'7" and 1/8th what the hell is that. What's the 1/8th? I know what it is, but it just looks strange.
I figured my American kids will figure it out. Just asked him the other day and he doesn't know though he is old enough to know.
How do the pounds become oz. and quartz? Different names again, so I'm lost. That said, I was still better at math and sciences at school than my local born friends.

Anonymous wrote:Don't you just hate it?
Especially when they are Americans on vacation.
Americans were on television being interviewed by American media and they started saying "meters" & "kilometers"

JESUS CHRIST!!!!!

Just say "feet" & "miles" like you would if you were here.

Being in Europe does not make you sophisticated.
Get over yourselves.

OP, there is nothing particularly sophisticated about meter. In fact, the decimal system requires much less thought altogether

I grew up with meters and kilometers, but got used to feet and miles rather quickly. In fact, last time I went to Canada, I felt weird trying to figure out what a kilo of salami would look like So maybe those Americans you refer to are simply going with the flow.

One thing I still can't get over after 15 years in the U.S. is Farenheit. Not getting it. Have to convert to Celsius if I want to know what to wear.

I am a scientist. I hate when I have to use the english measurements. Except when cooking. I intuitively know what a cup is, but 200 ml? I have no direct feel that it is a little more than 1/2 a cup.

1000 (m -> km) is much easier to remember than 5280.
it is much easier to convert 190 cm to 1.9 m than 75 " to 6.25 feet.

Damn the metric system!

They have done a bunch of studies and found that while the metric system is overall an easier system to use, people (even those who live metric) find that the English system works better in two instances. Weather/temperature and personal weight. In those cases, people found that they could describe their experience much better using the English system. For example, it is easier to describe a comfort zone as "the 70s" as opposed to "anywhere from 20 to 24.3".

I guess that's why the UK still uses both . . .

Everything in engineering and any type of job that deals with measurements uses the metric system. You know why? Bc it makes sense. It's time the US changes.

That is totally what I'm upset about right now.

Anonymous wrote:Don't you just hate it?
Especially when they are Americans on vacation.
Americans were on television being interviewed by American media and they started saying "meters" & "kilometers"

JESUS CHRIST!!!!!

Just say "feet" & "miles" like you would if you were here.

Being in Europe does not make you sophisticated.
Get over yourselves.

And you're saying this now, when a terror attack has killed more than 70 people in France?

Of course people are going to be on television and talking about how many meters or kilometers that truck drove into the crowd.

Bad timing, you poor xenophobic OP.

This you worry about?

I suppose they were using metric distances because that is what they'd been reading on the signs.

I'm French, so pardon me, but I'll keep thinking in metric. You can keep your archaic and ridiculous pounds and feet.

Anonymous wrote:Don't you just hate it?
Especially when they are Americans on vacation.
Americans were on television being interviewed by American media and they started saying "meters" & "kilometers"

JESUS CHRIST!!!!!

Just say "feet" & "miles" like you would if you were here.

Being in Europe does not make you sophisticated.
Get over yourselves.

But if you are in Europe, the only thing you would know about distances would be meters and kilometers. Or do you think they should do the conversion in their head?